Blood in the Dark
by The Nurse 0495
Summary: When there's a blackout in the hospital, and a crazy patient on the loose, what will happen?
1. The Dark

Blood in the Dark

Read………Important…….Stop………Read

Disclaimer: In my world, I DO own ER and all of its characters. But since I'm the only member of my own world, only I know that. The very good people who created ER own it, and so does NBC, my favourite channel. *Sniff* you guys are heroes…

Also, anything I mention, like Oreo cookies, for example, I don't own. I own the crazy guy. 

Achieve: I need email first 

Spoilers: None

Rating: PG

A/N: Two words. Very. Scary. I don't know why I wrote this, but if you read it…wow. It was inspired by that big blackout thingy that happened a while ago.  This would be a great Halloween ER episode, don't you think?

*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter One: The Dark

*~*~*~*~*~*

It was a bad day to be working. Or rather, bad night. The rain came down in torrents as John Carter walked through the doors of County General. What greeted him was a total shock. Silence. Empty chairs. No drunks. No gun-wielders. Nobody. 

At admit, Randi was lounging on a chair, reading a magazine. She looked up at Dr. Carter and nodded her hello. Carter was about to ask her what was going on when Dr. Kerry Weaver came out of one of the exam rooms, escorting a mother and child, who had a cast on his arm. They left and Kerry turned to Carter. 

"Empty, huh?" she asked, placing the clipboard of her previous patient on the desk.

"Uh, yeah. Wow. What happened? Are we closed?"

"No. It's just a slow night. And you know, the little fact of the major thunder storm going on outside."

"Oh that? I didn't notice." Carter tried to wring out his coat, which was dripping water.

Kerry and Carter walked into the lounge. 

Luka, Susan and Abby were seated at a table, playing cards. 

"Good game?" Carter asked Abby.

"Hell no, I lost three games in a row." Abby threw down her cards in disgust.

"Are you sure you've never played poker?" Susan asked Luka.

"You guys will believe anything. I haven't lived in a box all my life."

"Ohh." Susan and Abby rolled their eyes and gave Luka their bets - Oreo Cookies.

"You guys are playing for cookies?" Carter asked.

"We were playing for pretzels, but SOMEBODY ate them." Abby looked at Susan, who shrugged.

"I nike mmsult." She said through a mouthful of pretzel.

Abby threw a card at her. 

Carter shook his head and put on his lab coat.

"You won't need that." Yosh, from the coffee maker, said. "Nobody's out there." 

"Except for that guy." Susan said.

"That guy has a name Susan." Kerry scoffed. 

"Sorry. His name is Mr. Paulson. He came in for a cut on the head after falling down some stairs. He was a little freaked, so we sedated him. He'll come around in a little bit and then he can leave." Susan shrugged.

Kerry put away her lab coat.

"I'm off now. Elizabeth's here, and so is Pratt. Gallant has a shift. If it was anybody else, I know they wouldn't come, but since it's Gallant, you can expect him soon."

"There's nothing like an eager student." Carter said. Abby rolled her eyes. 

Carter followed Kerry out of the lounge. He stopped at the front desk. 

"You would look good with blond hair." Randi told him. Carter ignored her and decided to see who Mr. Paulson was. 

"Randi, do you know where a Mr. Paulson is?"

"No."

"It's your job."

Randi shrugged. 

"I thought I saw him in exam three. But then he ran into exam five. Then to the men's bathroom."

"Why didn't you stop him?" Carter asked frantically.

"He went into the men's bathroom. Like I was going in there." Randi said. Suddenly, there was a crash and a scream.   

 And then it was dark.

The scream belonged to Randi, who looked up at where the lights were. 

"Don't panic…" she said fearfully "but I think the power's out."

"What about the backup power?"

"Problem." Came a voice from behind them. Carter recognized it as Pratt's.

"What?" He demanded, trying to find a chair. It was quite dark.

"I was trying to fix the power. I thought I could. But then I cut a wire and plugged in another, and – "

"You broke the generator? Pratt!"

"What? We won't need it. Nobody's here."

"The guy with the cut is here." Randi pointed out. 

"Somebody should check on him." Carter suggested. Nobody answered. Randi pulled out a flashlight and a magazine. Carter grabbed the flashlight before Randi could use it.

"Hey!"

"Do your job."

"Yes Mother." Randi said sarcastically. Carter ignored her and went to the lounge.

He was met by the scene of Abby, Susan and Luka playing poker by candlelight. Nothing had changed. They were in the exact same position they had been when he had left. But now Yosh had joined them. 

"You guys." Carter said.

"What?" Luka asked.

"The power's out."

"We saw that." Susan said. "I'll raise you two Oreos."

"Mr. Paulson ran away."

"Huh?" Luka looked up.

"He broke free from his restraints."

"Restraints?" Abby asked. "Oops."

"We thought sedation was enough." Yosh explained.

"Well it's not. And now he's run away. And somebody needs to find him." Carter announced. "Whose patient was he?"

Reluctantly, Luka admitted that it was his.

"Go find him." Carter ordered.

"In the dark?" Luka pretended to be scared. "Alone?"

"I'll go." Abby volunteered. "As long as I hold the candle. God knows what we would do if you dropped it." 

"Have a séance?" Susan suggested. Carter glared at her. 

Abby and Luka left with the candle to go play manhunt patient.

"Is this a normal thing in hospitals?" Abby asked as she walked slowly with the candle. "Having blackouts and loosing patients in the blackouts?"

"This isn't a normal hospital." Luka said.

"That's true. Ow, this candle is hot."

"Uh huh." 

Abby and Luka looked in room after room. The candle created shadows on the wall that danced eerily as thunder cracked. It didn't really provide enough light to see by.

"This is like out of a horror movie or something." Abby joked.

"All we need now is a psychotic murderer or something."

"Yeah." Abby laughed. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

In the lounge, Susan was playing solitaire. Yosh was making shadow puppets with the flashlight. Carter was being edgy. 

"Did you hear that?" he asked.

"Yeah. In America, we call it thunder." Susan laughed. 

"Sorry, it's just I have a bad feeling."

"About?" Yosh asked.

"Just…this."

Susan shrugged. "So you're afraid of the dark. It's okay. I was, when I was eight."

That got her another glare from Carter.

"Lighten up." She scoffed

"I wish it would." Carter said.

*~*~*~*~*~*

At the front desk, Randi was looking bored. 

"You're an idiot." She told Pratt.

"Why?"

"Because you messed up the emergency lights. Hospitals are supposed to have backup light. This sucks." 

"Oh, I get it. You're afraid. Well, don't worry, I'm here."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Randi turned her back on Pratt. Pratt shrugged and picked up a flashlight. He left.  

*~*~*~*~*~*

Abby and Luka were getting bored. And anxious. And paranoid. They had to find a patient in the big dark empty hospital. 

Abby let Luka hold the candle. He was taller, and it was easier for both of them to see. 

"God, where is he?" Abby mumbled. "Mr. Paulson? Hello?"

"Maybe he's hurt or something."

They walked past the bathrooms. 

"Go in and see if he's there." Abby ordered.

"You."

"You! He's your patient. I'm just a nurse." Abby smiled sweetly.

Luka sighed and went in. And Abby was left alone in the dark. Suddenly, someone grabbed her. She punched him.

"Ow!" that someone let go of her. She turned around. 

"Pratt! What the hell?" Abby demanded. 

"Geez, what did you hit me with? Bricks?" Pratt scowled at Abby. "You guys are either wusses or –"

"He's not in there." Luka appeared. "Oh, hi Pratt. What happened? Did you walk into a wall?"

Pratt got annoyed and left. 

"What just happened?" 

"Nothing. Where's your patient?" 

"Like I said, he's not there."

Abby shrugged and they kept walking down the dark hallway. Abby saw a flicker of light in one of the trauma rooms. Luka and Abby went there quickly. Abby opened the door. There was a dark sticky substance on the handle. Abby brought her hand back.

"Luka?" she said "I think this is blood." They glanced at each other uncertainly and proceeded inside. A trail of dark blood began. They followed it along the floor, up the shelves. Slowly, Abby and Luka looked up at the wall. Abby gasped. 

Freshly painted in blood, some words ran down the wall. 

Didn't your Mother tell you not to play with fire?

At that moment, the candle went out. 

As the room plunged into darkness, the door handle creaked open. 

"I've been waiting." Somebody said. 

All Abby and Luka could do was listen.

A/N: So you see, I think that would make a great ER first-scene. Now review, before my psycho person comes to get you.

And, I'm a Luby, in case you can't tell. I am a Luby, but thisis only a bit Luby-ish. I don't really write fuzz. I'm more interested in their friendship.  

 R

  |

 E

  | 

 V

  |

 I

  |

 W 

  | 

 \ /


	2. The Shadow Man

Blood in the Dark

Read………Important…….Stop………Read

Disclaimer: In my world, I DO own ER and all of its characters. But since I'm the only member of my own world, only I know that. The very good people who created ER own it, and so does NBC, my favourite channel. *Sniff* you guys are heroes…

I own the crazy guy. 

Achieve: I need email first 

Spoilers: None

Rating: PG

A/N: This would be a great Halloween ER episode, don't you think?

So remember…Luka and Abby are in a room with a crazy guy, Susan, Yosh and Carter are in the lounge and Randi and Pratt are at the front desk 

*****SPECIAL NOTE: NOBODY SAID THIS WAS REALISTIC*****SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME TO MAKE THIS BETTER*****

*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter Two: The Shadow Man

*~*~*~*~*~*         

 Carter abruptly looked up. Something was not right. He tried to walk to the door, but tripped on a magazine that was lying on the floor of the lounge, due to Randi's carelessness, and nearly fell down.

Susan looked up from the paper airplane she was folding.

"Relax Carter." She held up the paper airplane. "Let your worries fly away with the plane!" she threw the plane at Carter. It didn't even get halfway to him.

"Har har." Carter rolled his eyes.

"Sorry!" Susan shrugged merrily and folded another paper airplane.

"You seem happy."

"I'm making _light _of the situation." She grinned.

"Susannn…."

"What? That was a joke!"

"Well it wasn't very punny!" Yosh said. "You know, like pun?" 

"We get it." Carter shook his head. "Crazy kids." 

"Be happy old man." Susan shook her head. "Abby's fine you know."

"What? What!" 

"You worry about her…"

"No.."

"She's a grown up, she _can _take care of herself."

"Yeah. Who said I was worried?"

Susan glared at him.

"Oh I get it. He's afraid that Kovac's with her!" Yosh said to Susan.

Carter looked at Yosh.

"Nurse Gossip Chain." He shrugged. "They were an _item."_

Carter crossed his arms and nodded in an amused way. "_Were they? I hadn't noticed."_

Yosh looked at Susan. Susan looked at Yosh.  Then she snorted and kept folding the airplane. Carter shook his head at her and navigated his way out of the lounge.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"You know what would make this night perfect?" Randi said to Pratt from where she was sitting at the front desk.

"What?" Pratt asked tiredly.

"If I could GO HOME!" she said, exasperated. "Why am I still here anyway?" *Really, someone tell me why!*

"So go home." Pratt shrugged.

"I'm still on for _two hours_. Not that I need to be here, mind you, but Weaver has eyes…everywhere…she'd see me leave." 

"I'm not afraid of Weaver." Pratt said.

Randi looked at him.

"Good for you, Macho Man."

"And I'm not afraid of this dark either."

"Good, because I am. Hold me." Randi said.

"Really."

"Get a life."

"My life is this!" He gestured to the darkness. "You know me; I live for the night life!"

Randi pulled out a lollipop from an emergency stash of junk food. "How about you go find Mr. Paulson then?"

"Kovac and Abby are doing that."

"So go assist them."

"I did. Once." Pratt winced as he touched the bruise on his face. "That Abby packs quite a punch."

"So did Gallant, as I hear it." Randi smirked.

Pratt just glared at her and sauntered into the dark empty corridor. 

"Hey Mr. Paulson! Come out come out wherever you are!"

*~*~*~*~*~*

_Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with fire_? 

Chilling. Haunting. Blood red letters that looked black in the dark.

It was so dark.

As far as she knew, she was still alive. Because she could hear her heart beat in her ears. And as far as she knew, he was still alive too. She could feel his presence beside her, but she didn't turn to look at him. She just stared straight ahead into the dark room to where the voice was coming from. 

"I've been waiting." The person said.

Neither Abby nor Luka said a word. 

"I've been watching."

Oh God.

"I've been planning." The person said, their voice low and barely audible. 

In the silent room however, every word rang out, cold and harshly insane, and dripping with venom. 

"I knew what I needed to do for a while now." The person said, as though it was a common thing to say. 

Thunder roared.

"I told him not to come." The person rasped again. 

Silence.

"Uh, Wh-what?" Abby asked, surprised that her voice squeaked in a nervous way.

"We had an agreement that he broke."

"Who?" Abby jumped as Luka spoke. He didn't sound nervous. At all. Which meant he must have been freaked. Who wouldn't be in a dark room with somebody who sounded like they just got let out from prison, for murder? 

"I told him that if he came, you would all die."

The candle slipped from Abby's hand and hit the floor. 

"And die you will. Because I keep my promises."

Abby bent down and tried to feel around for the candle.

She could suddenly sense somebody above her. Feel the chilling presence of the madman. But, it was the patient they treated. They should be able to control him.

She felt arms pulling her up, and stiffened. But it was just Luka, pulling her back up, who was as scared as she felt.

"Mr. Paulson?" Luka said.

"Ah yes, that bastard. He thought he could get away. But nobody gets away from me."

Damn.

"He owed me the money. I'm not a greedy man, but I like people to keep their promises. I always keep mine. We had a deal, we did. He thought he could cheat on it. Thought he could get away. Nasty little fighter he is, though. But I got him, I did. I told him to give me the money before I finished him off, but he ran like the coward he is. He thought he could get away, he did. But I watched. I knew all along where he was going. I'm not a mean man, but I like things to be fair. And the way I see it, it only seems fair if he pays. With his life."

"Mr. Paulson was treated for a fall." Abby spoke up. 

The shadow man was right in front of her in an instant. 

"Pauly boy. Ha. Is that the name he's going by now? Look, sweetheart, fair is fair. Money is life. I do what I do, and its hard work. He said he wanted her killed, he did. And I did the dirty work. Dirty, indeed. He owes me my due."

"I'm sure you and Mr. Paulson can work this out with the police – " Luka was cut off by the man.

"And that's just it, bud. The police can't get involved." The shadow man closer to Abby, who backed into Luka.

"And I told him that it was just between us, see? Nobody official. But he ran to the damn doctors. You two. And now you are involved. And I always keep my promises. My promise is to wipe my hands clean of this incident. If that means shedding some blood, so be it. But I can't trust you doctors to not blab to the police. It makes this matter easier for me if I can destroy all witnesses."

The man was serious. 

He strolled away, talking to himself.

Luka nudged Abby.

"Did we do a background check on Mr. Paulson?"

"I'm not sure." She whispered.

From the far end of the trauma room, a soft glow flickered from a candle the man had lit.

"I can't do this in the dark." He called.

Abby's eyes widened.

"We've got to go." She whispered frantically. 

"No kidding."

"Luka!" she cried, exasperated. 

"Don't cry, girl. You won't feel a thing. Until I cut you with the knife." The man laughed hollowly.

He turned around. The glow from the candle illuminated the man's face in an eerie way, creating shadows under his merciless eyes, and creating too, shadows that danced among the walls. Shadows of the tray of life saving instruments. But now, they looked like weapons that glistened madly like the madman's eyes.

"Isn't it cute. Look at you two. Scared. I don't like cowards, I don't. But it's funny to think that I'm the one holding your lives in my hands instead of the other way around."

A plan of action formed in Abby's head.

"It might hurt, but not for long, so don't worry. By the time I'm done here, this hospital will look like a slaughter house and I will look like a rich man. Very rich."

Abby and Luka stood tense, waiting for action. Waiting for the blood. As it was, the words had run down the wall and were now along the floor. The room looked like it did after a bad trauma. Blood was something she didn't want to see or feel. She knew they needed to go. Fight. Stop the crazy man, or die trying. But the others couldn't get hurt. She and Luka would have to handle this. But could they? She had major doubts, signified by her shaking hands and pounding heart.

He'd seen the bloodlust before. Power is something that will turn the most normal person crazy. The shadow man held the power. He had the confidence. He held their fear and he knew it. The shadow man wanted revenge. He wanted to kill. But he was scared, just as they were. Scared of the whole mess he'd started. A person's life is precious and he'd destroyed one already. If one believed what he said. Now he had to destroy the other lives too. He wasn't thinking.

Luka knew that but he didn't know what to do. 

"Okay." The shadow man said. 

"Do you have a name?" Abby asked, biding time.

"Many." He answered. "But you can call me Jack."

"Does Jack have a last name?" she asked again.

"Many, girl. But I shouldn't waste time telling you. You won't need to know. And nobody else does or will either."

"Now." Jack said, holding up a knife in the dim candle light. "Who would like to go first?"

*~*~*~*~*~*

Dr. Gallant walked through the doors of County General carrying a flashlight. There was a bad storm, after all. He had assumed the ER would be fairly busy with MVAs, perhaps a near-drowning. He knew to expect the unexpected, because he had learned from past shifts that nobody could guess what would happen in the ER. He liked the challenges. But sometimes he wondered if this was the right thing to do. No matter how used he was to the long shifts and the hectic days, he could never be relaxed with it. Major stress. But, it was an experience very few get to have, and for that, Gallant was thankful.

The hospital was dark. Gallant was surprised, but waved the flashlight around to try and see if there were any unfortunate patients that had to wait in the dark. There were none. The beam of light passed over a bored looking Randi and a defeated looking Pratt, who, unknown to Gallant, didn't dare venture farther into the hospital and therefore, did not find Mr. Paulson.

Carter came up to Gallant. 

"You came." He said somewhat loudly.

"Yep. Dedication." Gallant said. "Have you seen the rain?"

"Uh…yeah." Carter turned around and peered into the darkness. What he wanted to see was Abby and Luka, safe and sound with Mr. Paulson. All he saw was dark. He knew he shouldn't be so anxious, there were, after all, only his colleagues and a patient in the large hospital. It wasn't like this was a horror movie where a psychotic person would jump out of the closet, he thought with a laugh. Still, getting stabbed and Lucy getting stabbed…this was the only time asides to that that he ever felt so nervous. Getting stabbed, seeing the fright, the blood, feeling the pain of it all, it had opened his eyes to how much he valued life. And his co-workers. His friends. He didn't want to see any of them hurt.  

Gallant made his way to the lounge. Carter followed him.

"Hey Mikey!"  Susan called out. 

"Hey. Susan. Yosh."  Gallant put his stethoscope around his neck.

"You won't be needing that." Yosh said, not for the first time.

"You never know. A trauma could come in at any moment."

"Gaaahhh." Susan groaned at the thought of a trauma. 

Gallant looked around the near-empty room. "Who else is on?" He only saw Susan, Yosh and Carter in the candlelit room.

"Randi and Pratt are on. And Luka and Abby are out there…somewhere." Susan sighed and rested her head on her arms. "This candle's not going to last the night."

Carter fidgeted. 

Gallant saw this. Susan explained.

"He's freaked. You know…dark, monster, Abby, it's all scary to him."

"Can you blame me?" Carter snapped, staring at Susan.

Susan's eyes went wide.

"Sorry Carter. I didn't realize…it's about you and Lucy, right?"

Carter shrugged.

"I'm anxious. Last time I let somebody I cared about out of my sight to go treat a rowdy patient, she got stabbed. It shouldn't happen again."

"I know Carter, but it's just a patient."

"You told me he needed sedation."

"He did."

"It's dark."

"It is."

"It's a not-so-crowded large hospital."

"Yes."

"Two of our colleagues are out there."

"…They're both smart. They _are trained in the medical profession. They aren't stupid enough to get themselves into a bad situation."_

"Not if they can help it."   

*~*~*~*~*~*

Randi tossed a jellybean in the air and caught it in her mouth.

Pratt looked partially amused as he sat relaxed in a chair.

Randi tossed another jellybean in the air. It missed her mouth and landed on the floor.

"Darn!" 

"_What _are you doing?" Pratt asked.

"Practicing my mouth-eye coordination." Randi grinned cheekily. "Why? Wanna try it?"

"Not really."

"Eh. Whatever." Randi tossed another one in the air. She threw it a little too far and it hit Gallant, coming out of the lounge, in the head.

"Oops!" Randi jumped down from where she had been sitting, on the desk.

Gallant smiled at her good-naturedly. Carter came out of the lounge next.

"Any phone calls Randi?" He asked. 

"Uh…no." The power and phone lines were dead. "Power failure."

"Oh. Yeah." Carter said distractedly. "Gallant and I are going to go check on what the heck Abby and Luka are doing with Mr. Paulson."

"Maybe they haven't found him." Pratt suggested.

"No thanks to _you_." Randi smirked.

"They better have found him." Carter said harshly. He didn't mean to sound so mean. He spoke again. "How long could it take?"

"Ask me when the power comes back on." Randi replied.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"I said, who wants to go first?" Jack asked in the dim candlelight. "I'm an impatient man. This will be done, so one of you might as well get it over with. Then you won't have to see the others die." He laughed cruelly.

"How about you, sister? Ready to meet the blade? Or would you rather watch your boyfriend suffer first?" 

Abby just stared at him.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. The hard way is messier."

Luka and Abby almost gagged. 

"Ready to say goodbye?" He sneered madly.

"Yes." Abby said.

Luka spoke next. "Goodbye."

Abby hit the candle from Jack's hands. It's glowing flame went out. Once again, they were in the dark.

*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Oh la la, exciting, oui? Seriously, I'm proud of this. I think it's the best I've written. It took 4 HOURS to do. So please review. It would make me very happy. :) 

Can't you totally picture this as an ER episode?

I can. 

All the special effects they could use…this would be a cool episode, don't you think?

I do.

Hope I didn't confuse anybody with the whole Jack/ Mr. Paulson thing. 

I'm trying to make this a different story, so I needed a weird plot.

Thanks to all who reviewed the first chapter. You guys rock!

I want to see how many reviews this could get. The best I've seen is 85 reviews on a story, I think.

I don't think I can get that far, but I want to try, so please help make history and Review me!

 |  
 |  
 |   
 |   
 |   
 |  
 |   
 |  
\ /  
Look at that, the A/N took you right to the review button! Funny how life works, eh?


	3. The Blood

Blood in the Dark

Read………Important…….Stop………Read

Disclaimer: In my world, I DO own ER and all of its characters. But since I'm the only member of my own world, only I know that. The very good people who created ER own it, and so does NBC, my favourite channel. *Sniff* you guys are heroes…

I own the crazy guy. 

Achieve: I need email first 

Spoilers: None

Rating: PG

A/N: This would be a great Halloween ER episode, don't you think?

SOME THAKYOUS:  

Rocket: First reviewer. Thanks and, just decide for yourself when this is set. I'm not exactly sure…;),  

lozenge, where _is _Kerry?, 

bridget, I tried to be original, so hey, maybe great minds think alike, 

dark sparrow, thanks, and I'm trying to make it a carby _and _a luby

sparky0151, make up a time ;)

CarbyLuvRR , I'll try for a bit o' carby for ya

Ashley, luby girl,  I'm a luby too! :)

Kimmy, thanks, I think this is scary too

Riley Raine , I'm glad you think this is realistic, I was hoping it would be

Anna, I edited my site a bit, and really, I have nothing against Carter at all. :)

Jessica Lockhart, thanks a bunch!!! I'm glad you like my stories!

Ammie, thank you, hope you keep reading!

ILuvCarter, I can't stand Pratt either! Maybe a lamp will fall on him or something

Phantom of the Basement, thanks for your multi-reviews, they rock!

Hermione-2113, WOW, thanks for the awesome review! 

MeoWO3, thank you! I'm glad you read my story!

Bluecake, thanks a bunch!

Wanda, I'm glad you liked it!

luvinCARTER24, I'm writing, I'm writing!!! ;)

Rachael, thanks, If I do plan on having a beta, I'll contact you

~, whoever you are, thanks!

Spheksophobia, thanks!

Cata, I'm happy you think my story rocks!

WOW. Look at all those nice people who reviewed.  

So remember. Gallant and Carter went to look for Abby and Luka who are in a room with a crazy guy. Randi and Pratt are still at the front desk, and Susan and Yosh are _still _in the lounge.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter Three: The Blood

*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Yes." Abby said.

Luka spoke next. "Goodbye."

Abby hit the candle from Jack's hands. Its glowing flame went out. Once again, they were in the dark.

Now it was a game. 

A twisted, horrible, sick game.

A game of tag.

Deadly tag.

Run from Jack, he's 'it'.

Just hope he doesn't catch you.

Or it won't be fun anymore.

"You've made this amusing now, sister." Jack said through the dark. "The dark is my ally. As you see, or rather, can't see, it's kind of hard to catch a crazy man in the dark." Jack brought his voice to a whisper. "Guess you're never going to catch me, huh?"

*~*~*~*~*~*

Gallant looked up. He had heard a crashing noise. Like metal hitting the ground. Like a candle and its lifesaving flame being put out.

He and Carter, who was holding the flashlight like it was their only light, which it was, exchanged a panicked look. Carter cleared his throat and regained his composure. Their footsteps echoed on the silent hallways, sounding loud and eerie.

"Which room was Mr., uh, Mr. Paulson in?" Gallant had been informed of the patient's history and was trying to be cheerful in the dark corridors of the hospital.

"Randi said he switched rooms a few times. We should have had someone in there, watching him." 

"He was sedated, wasn't he?"

"Yes. He put up a bit of a hassle, I hear."

"You didn't treat him?" Gallant asked.

"Not directly, but we all share the workload in this hospital." Carter answered, sharply turning left towards a new hallway.

"Uh, yeah." Gallant looked around. "Look, I'm sure Abby and Dr. Kovac have got –"

Gallant was cut off by a loud clattering noise.

Without a word, Carter turned around. The beam of light from the flashlight hit none other than…

"I'm blind! Put the light down Carter!" Susan Lewis put a hand over her eyes. Carter put it down.

"That's better." Yosh, standing behind Susan, commented as he picked up the tray of instruments he and Susan had knocked over.

Carter gave Susan a look of death.

"We thought you'd like some help." Susan explained. "But by the looks of it, you – "

"Its fine, Dr. Lewis." Gallant assured her. 

"We thought it might have been – "

"The patient?" Susan interrupted Carter. 

"Yeah."

"Sorry."

"Yeah."

"We'll find him now."

"Yeah."

"Do you want to split up?"

"Yeah. Er, uh, no." Carter said. "No more of that. I don't want to go on another hunt to find you two after we find Mr. Paulson."

Susan smiled at him. 

"Its good of you to care."

"Yeah."

They all looked at each other.

Thunder cracked. Lightning lit up the hallway. 

"Let's get rolling." Susan said loudly. 

Obediently, everyone followed Carter down the hallway.

*~*~*~*~*~*

At the front desk, Randi and Pratt were doing their best to ignore one another. Suddenly, the phone rang. Randi stopped filing her nails and Pratt looked up from the book he was 'reading'. They both stared at the phone as it rang, shrill and repetitive.

"Is that the phone?" Randi asked. 

"Uh, Yeah!" Pratt answered.

"But the power's off." Randi crept closer to the phone.

"Really?" Pratt said sarcastically.

"Go away if you can't say anything nice." Randi retorted.

The phone kept ringing. 

"Answer the phone!" Pratt ignored the earlier comment Randi had said.

"You!"

"You!"

"You!"

"YOU!" Pratt and Randi argued until Randi rolled her eyes and picked up the phone.

"County general, how may I – "

"Is He there?" a raspy voice on the other line asked.

Randi raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me, who – "

"Is He there?" the person on the other line interrupted.

"Who?"

"Him. Is He there?"

"Huh." Randi rolled her eyes. "Does _He have a name?"_

"Many." The raspy voice answered.

"Yeah." Randi shouldered the phone so she could put some gum in her mouth. "Okay. Listen punk, I don't want your stupid prank calls. Stop calling this number."

"It would be funny, _if _this was a prank." The raspy voice said with venom. Randi didn't say anything.

"Is He there?" 

"I-"

"You better damn well know who He is and where He is!" the voice yelled at her. Randi chocked on her gum.

"I think you have the wrong number." She said when she recovered.

"I think you have the wrong attitude towards me." The voice responded. "Tell me now, are you looking for a person who shouldn't be there?"

"What?"

"A victim, or rather, a _patient of yours?"_

"Who wants to know?"

"I do. Yet I already know. And so does He. You are standing at the front desk, beside a doctor, no?"

Randi's mouth fell open.

"The lights are out, and you are all split up? Yes, I know."

"I-uh, I…He"

"Listen sister, this is it. You better find the patient of yours and you better do it quick."

"Gah – " Randi stuttered.

"Then you bring the patient to Him. He has some business with him."

"He-"

"You better make sure He gets what He wants. Or else there will be trouble. He and I will enforce it."

"Uh…"

"Have a nice night." _Click. _The person hung up. Randi stared at the phone. "What's wrong?" Pratt asked.

"Some guy with a creepy voice told me we have to find Him and the patient and let them do some business or something." Randi replied, shaken.  But all I know is that there was just one patient, not two, in the hospital. Are we like, not alone?"

Pratt rolled his eyes. "Must have been a joke. Who was on the phone?"

"I don't know ."

"Call star sixty-nine."

"Alright." Randi replaced the phone in its holder and picked it up once more.

There was no dial tone.

*~*~*~*~*~*  

They both thought up a plan. 

What were they supposed to do with a crazy guy wielding a knife in the dark?

Whatever they needed to do. 

She had a thought that this was going to be bloody, painful. 

So why wasn't she scared?

Maybe she was past the sacredness. 

Maybe she wanted to die.

Maybe she expected for Carter to come in and turn on a light.

Maybe she knew she could get away.

It was amazing, she thought, the little trauma room seemed so big in the dark. 

But as it was, they were both standing against a wall. 

It was there they thought up the plan.

Because they couldn't hide forever. 

Action had to be taken.

"What…do. We. Do?" Abby said in a broken up sentence. 

"Go find Carter." Luka suggested.

"That'll be easy." She whispered sarcastically. 

"This will be easy." A third voice joined in. Quickly, and as easily as they could in the dark, Abby moved one way, and Luka moved another.

_Smash_! 

Somebody had knocked over a tray of instruments. 

Luka heard a muffled cry from Jack.

_Good one Abby_, He thought. 

She heard the cry too. 

She also felt the strong slash of metal against her skin. And the red substance that poured out. Down her arm, staining the nurse uniform she hated anyway. 

Now she cried out.

Whirling around, she just barely ducked the knife and moved away from Jack, just barely staying up. Tripping would be disastrous.

She willed herself to find Luka in the dark.

He figured she had been stabbed or something. He now knew how Carter had felt many a year ago. But Carter had been in pain. He wasn't. Yet.

"Abby?!?" He hoped for a response from her.

"Yeah!" she called.

She was okay.

"Abby, we need help!" He heard someone coming towards him. "Abby, go find Carter, or Susan or someone!"

"I – "

"Go!"

"Luka!"

"GO!"

Alright, she'd go. She'd go wandering around in the dark aimlessly until somebody found her. No, she decided. She'd find them. She wasn't helpless.

Well, she was until she found the door. She just walked until she banged right into a wall. 

"Ow!" she said, quietly. Hoping Jack didn't hear her and come near her. Feeling around she felt a…doorknob. She pulled it open and raced into the hallway, listening, looking, for anybody. She knew her arm was bleeding, and the odd thing was, she didn't feel the pain. She felt the blood, but not the pain.

No more blood should be shed.

Abby picked a way and headed, at a run, towards it.

In the trauma room, Luka heard a door click. As in the door shut and locked. By Jack.

"The key to your life is with that girl." Jack chuckled quietly to himself. "Something tells me you are going to die."

Luka believed he was going to die too.

She didn't hear a sound. She didn't see a light. She felt the blood. She felt exhaustion. And the panic.

"Is anybody out there?" Abby called frantically. "Hello?" 

*~*~*~*~*

Yosh, at the back of the line of doctors on a search, heard a faint call. 

He stopped walking. Gallant, in front of him, stopped too. 

"Did you hear that?" Yosh asked quietly.

"Not really." Gallant answered.

"Huh?"

"I've been hearing weird things all night." Gallant nodded. "Must just be the storm or something, huh?"

"Yeah…maybe." Yosh looked at Gallant. Gallant looked at Yosh.

Susan looked behind her and saw the silhouettes of Gallant and Yosh, a few steps away.

"Hey guys, come on, we don't want to loose you!" she said seriously. She stopped walking.

Carter kept going. He thought he saw something…

"Carter!" Susan called. "Wait up! We're not as fast as you!"

"He's a man on a mission." Yosh said as he caught up.

Carter just directed the beam of light forward to one of the trauma rooms. Susan was quiet as the saw the distant shadow of somebody.

"Is it him?" Susan asked quietly.

"God, I hope so." Carter said, moving towards the room. He tried to open the door. It was locked. He knocked on the door. 

"Mr. Paulson? You there?"

"We need you to open the door!" Susan joined in.

They listened for movement from the room. Nothing.

Carter knocked again.

"We need to help you, Mr. Paulson, and we can't if the door is locked."

"We won't hurt you!" Susan called. 

Still nothing.

"Mr. Paulson, if you don't open the door, we will." Carter tried to reason with the patient. "So, let us in."

"is He there?"  What they hoped was a Mr. Paulson voice called out.

"Who?"

"Him."

Carter looked at the doctors. 

"There's nobody here but the doctors who treated you earlier this day, Mr. Paulson. Will you let us in?"

They heard the door creak open. Mr. Paulson stepped back. Carter was the first in. He checked the man out for any injury. Asides to the man's eyes, which were darting around nervously, everything was fine.

"Where are Abby and Luka?" Susan asked from the doorway.

Carter looked up.

"Are they there?" Yosh called from the hallway.

"…No."  Carter breathed in. "No they're not."

He looked at Susan. Susan looked worried.

"Mr. Paulson, did you see – "

"I didn't see no one."

"Okay." Susan said carefully, glancing at Carter. "You didn't see a nurse? Did a doctor come and check on you?"

"No." Mr. Paulson answered quickly.

"Okay." Susan looked at Carter for instruction.    

"let's take him to admit and call him a cab." Carter suggested. He looked Mr. Paulson over again.

"No cab!" Mr. Paulson said fearfully. "He'll kill me!" Then he clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Who?" Carter questioned.

"Nobody." Mr. Paulson said quietly.

"Okay. Susan, we'll take him to admit and put him in a room there" he looked at Mr. Paulson "If that's okay."

"Yes." Mr. Paulson agreed. 

Susan made Mr. Paulson sit on a gurney which she, Yosh and Gallant wheeled out of the room. 

Carter stayed in the room.

"You coming, Carter?" Susan asked. 

"Yeah. In a minute." He tossed Susan the flashlight. "Take Mr. Paulson. I'll find you later."

Susan looked like she wanted to object.

"Patient's safety first." Carter said. "Go."

Susan nodded.

"They're fine." She assured him before she left.

Carter sat in the silence until he heard a familiar frantic call.

"Carter? Carter? John!" He turned to see Abby rush into the room.

"Abby!" he said, surprised. "Oh God Abby."

"What?"

"I- we were worried."

Abby smiled at him.

"I bet you were." She responded. 

"Yeah. Are you okay?" he asked her gently. 

"Uh, for the most part, I am." Abby tried to hide her bleeding arm behind her back but Carter was too quick.

"You're bleeding!"

"Uh, yeah." She let Carter take a look.

"What happened?"

"I was …essentially, stabbed."

Carter froze.

"That's why I'm here. We need help. He has a knife."

"Who? The patient? We have the patient. Susan took him." Carter gestured towards the hallway.

"No."

"Luka? He has a knife?"

"NOoo."

"I-"

"Mr. Paulson is not Mr. Paulson." Abby said quickly. "He's a criminal who made up a new name."

Carter pulled Abby, in the dark trauma room, over towards the cabinet where gauze was stored.

"And?" he prompted her as he pulled some gauze out.

"And he paid somebody to kill someone. A friend or a wife or something."

Abby let Carter wrap her arm in bandages.

Carter looked curiously at her.

"But he didn't actually pay this guy, Jack, who came after him. Mr. Paulson didn't fall down the stairs. He was beat up by Jack."

"Jack?"

"Jack, well, he says that's his name, killed the wife or whoever and wanted money. When Paulson didn't pay him, he beat him up and told him that if he came to the hospital, everyone would die."

"Including the doctors."

"Including the doctors." Abby repeated. "So now Jack was, or rather, is, trying to kill us. Luka and I thought he was Mr. Paulson. He tried to kill us." She looked at her bandaged arm. "Thanks, Dr. Carter."

Carter was relieved that she was okay.

"I'm glad you're okay, Abby."

"I'm glad you're okay too." She said truthfully.

Then she gasped.

"I, he, Luka won't be."

"Won't be what?" Carter was thoroughly confused.

"He won't be okay. I left him with Jack. I was supposed to get you."

"Me?" Carter asked. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Help us." Abby declared.  

"Yeah." Carter looked at her. "What are we supposed to do?"

"You want my answer or the good answer?"

"Your answer."

"We're supposed to die."

"And the good answer?"

"We're supposed to find a way to get Jack behind bars without getting maimed." 

"Sounds like a plan."

"A plan that needs action."

"Yeah. Let's go."

*~*~*~*~*

A/N: See? Carby _and Luby. Hope I made everybody happy. Please review if I did!_


End file.
